# When did Canada enter WW2? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 20, 2000, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-canada-enter-ww2/41896 "2000-11-20T00:16:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Serendipity28](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecc23a/32.png) [@Serendipity28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serendipity28)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2000, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-canada-enter-ww2/41896/1 "2000-11-20T00:16:03Z")
I was watching a documentary on D-day from WW2 tonight and while listening with half an ear because I was busy elsewhere, I heard the Canadian Army mentioned. I know Canada was in WW2 with everyone else, but I just realized that I don’t know when they got into it. Did they get involved before, at the same time as or after America did? I never really thought about it but just accepted that they were in there. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2000, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-canada-enter-ww2/41896/2 "2000-11-20T00:41:35Z")
A brief excerpt from Canada’s website: > [@](#): > > On 24 August 1939 Prime Minister MacKenzie King’s Cabinet first learned of the German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact. It was agreed that “Canada would participate” in a general conflict involving Great Britain although Parliament would decide the precise nature of Canada’s commitment. > . > . > . > On 1 September 1939 General Order 135 announced a “State of Apprehended War”. Although war had not yet been declared, this placed the Canadian military on a war footing and initiated mobilization. The mobilized force was designated the Canadian Active Service Force. > > On 1 September 1939, 1st Canadian Divisional Signals formed at Barriefield and later left for overseas service under command of Lieutenant-Colonel J.E. Genet, MC. > . > . > . > When Britain declared war on 3 September 1939 Canada, unlike in 1914, was no longer obligated to participate. > . > . > . > On 6 September 1939, bowing to realities of facility inadequacies, the Government reversed its earlier plans and decided that concentrations by arms of mobilized forces were impossible. Only Signals, with its new school in Kingston, mobilized in one place. > . > . > . > **On 10 September 1939, with the approval of the Government of Canada, King George VI proclaimed the existence of a state of war between Canada and the German Reich.** > > On 16 September 1939 the Government of Canada decided to send a force overseas. Initially this was to be a token division to be followed by a second division, corps headquarters and corps troops when equipment became available. ---
**Author:** ![Globe-trotter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cab0a1/32.png) [@Globe-trotter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Globe-trotter)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2000, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-canada-enter-ww2/41896/3 "2000-11-20T00:45:10Z")
Canada officially declared war on Germany on September 10th, 1939, one week after Great-Britain and France. America got involved a few years later, in 1941. ---
**Author:** ![Serendipity28](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecc23a/32.png) [@Serendipity28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serendipity28)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2000, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-canada-enter-ww2/41896/4 "2000-11-20T04:52:13Z")
Cool. Thanks. I kind of like that part where they decided that they couldn’t go to war, and then, shortly after, declared war. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2000, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-canada-enter-ww2/41896/5 "2000-11-20T05:05:19Z")
hey, just because we can’t get our army moving doesn’t mean we can’t declare war! after all, about 40% of our equipment was lost at sea for three weeks last summer, over a shipping dispute, but we were all still “standing on guard” at the football games!